Nigeria’s $2.8 Billion AKK Pipeline Races Toward November Completion After Years of Delays
Nigeria’s massive Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline project is finally approaching the finish line, with mechanical completion now targeted for November 2025 after reaching 86.05 percent completion. The $2.8 billion, 614-kilometer infrastructure project has faced at least three major postponements since its original 2023 deadline but appears poised to transform Nigeria’s energy landscape.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) announced the updated timeline during a progress briefing in Abuja, with new Group Chief Executive Officer Bayo Ojulari describing the AKK as “a milestone in Nigeria’s journey towards energy security, economic revitalization, and industrial resilience.” The project represents far more than infrastructure development, serving as what Ojulari calls “a lifeline for economic advancement, job creation, and national integration.”
Once operational, the pipeline will supply up to 2.2 billion standard cubic feet of gas per day, fueling power plants across Abuja, Kaduna, Kano, and other major centers. This massive gas flow is expected to revive industries throughout northern Nigeria, particularly in Kaduna and Kano, where manufacturing sectors have historically struggled with energy access issues.
The project has already generated significant employment, with over 1,900 skilled and semi-skilled Nigerians employed directly during construction. Thousands more jobs are anticipated once the pipeline becomes operational, driven by economic spin-offs across multiple sectors and the development of planned industrial parks in Ajaokuta, Kano, and other locations along the AKK corridor.
Executive Director of Projects at Nigeria Gas Infrastructure Company Limited, Audu Ibrahim, confirmed that the most critical component – the River Niger Crossing – has been successfully completed, significantly de-risking the entire project. The pipeline segment from KP303 to Kano is already complete, welded, pre-commissioned, tested, and ready to receive gas.
Source: thisdaylive.com
